Seeing, But Not Knowing
by Demon Girl17
Summary: One-Shot. Jumping to conclusions never helped anyone before, so why should it start now?


Hey everyone! Dodges various things being thrown I know, I know… I've been gone way too long, but things have just been so weird lately, I haven't had the ideas or will to write. Combine college stuff, senior year of high school, getting all my hard/work classes my last semester, trying to get a job, doing things for my rents, trying to fit in a somewhat life, my dad going to China, family things, the list goes on!

But that's no excuse. I should have made time. I'm on spring break until April 4th, so I plan to hopefully, if my mom allows it… update and finish **Winter's Night**.

Until then, my muses came back from the recesses of my mind… they got a little lost… and have bugged me with this idea for a one shot. Here it goes.

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

'_Thoughts'_

**Seeing, But Not Knowing**

Inuyasha watched with a scowl from the ground as her long black hair disappeared into the depths of the well. Slowly pulling himself from the dirt hole that she had so kindly put him in, Inuyasha rose, dusting himself off, the scowl never leaving his face.

She had only been there for a few hours, and already she was gone, leaving a gnawing feeling pulling at his insides from guilt, causing his harsh scowl to soften some. Turning his gaze back to the well, his eyes filled with longing for a brief moment. If one had been watching they would've thought their eyes were playing tricks because in a flash his eyes had turned blank, unreadable. He turned and stalked away from the well, allowing his mind to wander as his feet carried him without guidance to the base of the Goshinboku.

Looking up into the full branches of the tree, he shook his head and turned away from it, his feet taking him in the opposite direction. His ears twitched to the sounds of birds flying overhead and the occasional yell from the village men instructing each other in the field. The sound of the river also echoed in his ears, but he heard none of it. The only things registering in his mind were his thoughts of what had happened and gone wrong over the past couple hours.

After a few long minutes of walking, Inuyasha entered a small clearing, surrounded by lush trees, green from the early spring that had come. However, his eyes focused on one tree that didn't have leaves. The tree had been around since he had first come to the village fifty-three years ago. How a tree lacking leaves, devoid of life could stand for so long was beyond him, but he didn't care to dwell on the thought. All that mattered was that he arrived at his destination; a single solitary tree, alone in a world where it is surrounded by perfect beings, itself being the only one different amongst the rest.

'_In a way,'_ Inuyasha thought as he climbed up to the trees highest branches, going no further than what he thought would support him, _'this tree is much like me. Standing alone in a world where it's the only one different and everything staying a good distance away from it; close but not close enough.'_

Inuyasha sighed and turned his gaze to the sky. The day had started out so bright when Kagome had come back. The sun was out, only a few wisps of clouds dotted the clear blue sky. It looked like it was going to be a good day so that the next morning everyone would be set to go out and continue the hunt for the shards. It had been three years since Kagome fell down the well, and even though they had worked their asses off over those years, there were still some shards left shattered across Japan. And there was still the matter that Naraku was still among the living.

At those thoughts he shook his head trying to dispel them from his mind. Silver hair danced in the wind as it teased the long locks. Brushing a few strands from his face, Inuyasha returned his thoughts to today.

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Kagome had come back, everything was great, and then he was ordered by Kaede to go fetch something for lunch. Well actually, Kaede had asked, Shippo had said to "go fetch". So after putting a few new bumps on the young kit's head and getting sat by Kagome, he stormed off to the forest to get some food. After some walking, he had come across a small pond, connected by a small stream to the river. Deciding fish was easier than searching out game, which he didn't at that moment have the patience for anyway, Inuyasha rolled up his pant legs and haori sleeves. He cautiously walked into the water, trying hard not to spook the fish that he could see swimming around in the crystal clear water.

After catching enough fish to feed everyone in the group well enough and slipping in the water once, he dragged himself out and shook off the water before sitting on the small bank of the pond, the sun shinning even though the clouds in the sky were thickening. He sat for a minute and got up to leave when a scent came to him, freezing his movements instantly.

The crunching of footsteps came to his ears and he looked up to see a figure emerge from the trees. The winds picked up and changed directions bringing her scent right to him as he now stood downwind. He stared wide eyed at the red and white garbed woman before him, her hair tied loosely back, shinidamachu circling her form.

"Hello, Inuyasha." Kikyou said in her usual monotone voice as she stepped closer to the stunned hanyou.

"Kikyou…" He whispered out, but quickly snapped from his stupor. He crouched slightly, getting into a defensive position.

Kikyou narrowed her eyes at his change in behavior but acted calm. "Why the reaction Inuyasha, aren't you happy to see me?"

He narrowed his eyes, his lips drawing back baring his teeth at her. "Hell no, not after what you did last time you showed up."

"I only went there to collect on your promise to me. It's not my concern if my little reincarnation happened to get in the way." Kikyou spoke, her tone remaining neutral.

"Fucking hell, you shot her with an arrow and then tried to get me with one." He snapped letting his anger get the best of him. "You think you can do that and then show up here expecting everything to be perfectly fine?"

"You made a promise to me Inuyasha, and I expect you to keep it."

"It was a foolish promise that I should have never made." He said, his voice calming and masking the emotions of hurt and anger as well as regret simmering deep within his being.

Suddenly, catching him off guard she rushed forward, placing her hands on his chest. A shot of her powers ran through him, paralyzing his entire body. She slowly wrapped her arms around him, her one hand resting on his cheek, stroking it gently.

"It's a shame that I have to resort to this to get you where you're supposed to be. I had hoped you'd make it easy and come willingly, but I suppose that girl has wormed her way deeper into your heart deeper than I had thought." Kikyou whispered to him.

Inuyasha glared at her, trying hard to snarl, fight, and do anything to get her off of him. The sound of approaching footsteps came to him, causing panic to well within him. With his body paralyzed he was helpless to do anything, especially since they were coming from behind him.

The sound of bushes being brushed aside followed by a surprised gasp echoed in the small clearing. Inuyasha felt his heart fall and guilt well inside of him. He knew that gasp…

"I-Inuyasha?" Kagome choked out, tears welling in her eyes. She stared at the sight before her, Kikyou with her arms wrapped tightly around him.

He heard the crack in her voice and wanted more than anything to shove Kikyou aside and go to her. But the paralysis still had its hold on him.

Anger, pain, and betrayal rose within her and before she could think she yelled. "Sit!"

The simple command broke Kikyou's hold on him and a whole new spell took over, breaking the one Kikyou had forced on him. The sound of fast retreating footsteps told him Kagome was running. Growling in frustration he rose as soon as the spell allowed him and turned to Kikyou, teeth bared anger blazing in his golden eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" He snapped, and then took a deep breath to calm himself, feeling his demon blood surge even though he had Tessaiga at his side. He ran a hand through his bangs then looked up at the undead priestess, his expression unreadable. He spoke, his voice calm, tired sounding. "Kikyou, I'm sorry for what happened all those years ago, but we've both already paid the price. You died, and I was basically dead for fifty years. When Kagome released me, it was like I was reborn. You though…"

He stared right at her "You're rebirth her was unnatural, it wasn't supposed to happen. By that time your soul was already reborn into her. We had our chance, but if it was meant to be, the fates wouldn't have pulled us apart."

He took a deep breath "I can't keep my promise to you Kikyou; it was made to something that shouldn't even exist." With that he turned and ran after Kagome. By the time he had reached her, she was almost to the well. He yelled after her, but she sat him and leapt into the well.

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"Now I'm here." He voiced aloud to the darkened sky above. The clouds then opened up, rain falling softly to the earth. Washing away everything, cleansing the land, the people, the creatures so that they could all begin anew. Inuyasha let the water hit his face before realization dawned on him.

He jumped out of the tree and ran to the well hopping in and fading into the darkness.

"What do you mean she's not here?"

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Inuyasha sat on Kagome's bed, Souta standing in front of him. When he got to her house, he went straight to her room, only to find her scent old. Souta had heard noise in his sister's room and came in to investigate. In the short time that he was there, Inuyasha found out that the kid was home alone and that Kagome wasn't there.

"Exactly what it's supposed to mean, she's not here." Souta replied, eating a chip out of his bag.

"Ok then… where did she go?"

"She went shopping and to the library." Souta told him but tugged on his haori sleeve as he started to get up. "But she said that if you showed up, I was to tell you not to follow her and to go home."

Inuyasha sighed and sat back down on the bed. "Well I ain't going back until I talk to her, so I'll wait right here."

Souta shook his head and looked at his hero sadly. _'He's gonna get killed by her wrath one day…'_ "If you don't mind me asking, why is she so mad at you anyway?"

"We just had a fight kid. She took something she saw the wrong way and didn't let me explain." Inuyasha said lying back on the bed, his arms behind his head.

"Ah, sounds like Kagome alright." He said, climbing up on the bed to sit by the hanyou. "So, how are you going to apologize?"

Inuyasha looked at him for a moment before blinking. "Uh… hadn't really thought of that…"

Souta grinned. "Well then, today is your lucky day. Are you a fast learner?"

Inuyasha stared at him as if he had sprouted wings and grown horns. "Yeah… so…?"

Souta hopped off the bed and grabbed him by the forearm. "Come on we have a lot of work to do."

He stared for a moment but followed the kid. What harm could it do?

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"Souta, I'm home!" Kagome called as she walked into the house, slipping off her shoes and putting on her slippers. When she didn't get a response, worry rose within her. She stepped cautiously into the hall, when she caught the sound of soft jazz music coming from the living room. Confused, she walked towards it, opening the shoji and gasping at the sight before her. The furniture had been slightly rearranged and on the coffee table in front of the couch sat two plates of food still steaming, a glass of water with each. But the thing that made her gasp were the candles. Around the entire room, candles were lit, providing the only light.

"Souta?" Kagome called again, confused.

"He left a few minutes ago, said he was going to a friend's house." A deep voice spoke from the direction of the kitchen. Kagome's eyes widened as she turned to the owner of the voice, the glow of the candles causing his golden eyes to sparkle while shadows danced on his face.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered, staring in disbelief at the man leaning against the frame of the doorway to her kitchen. Though the light was dim, she could make out that he wasn't wearing his usual kimono, but rather dark jeans and a t-shirt, and his hair was pulled back loosely. "Did you… what hap… huh?"

Inuyasha chuckled and stepped away from the door frame, approaching her. He took her arm gently and led her over to the coffee table, sitting her down on the couch. "Not the most coherent person tonight, eh Kagome?"

At the comment she snapped out of her stupor, her questions coming out at once. "Why are you here? Did you do all this yourself? Why are you dressed like that? Did you hit your head or something? Are you really Inuyasha? Am I going crazy? Have you gone crazy?"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down a second." He said moving around the table to sit on the floor. "Ok, let's see, I came to apologize and talk, no Souta helped, he said my clothes smelled disgusting, no, yes, it's a possibility, and no."

Kagome stared, her brain processing all the answers he'd given her. "Oh, ok- hey wait! I am NOT crazy!" She yelled, fuming. Her anger subsided though when she sees the soft smile tugging at his lips. "Are you feeling ok?"

He shrugged. "I guess so." He sat up straighter. "Anyway, I'm here to apologize for earlier."

"That's ok Inuyasha, I understand that you still have feelings for Kikyou. I just overreacted."

"But Kagome…"

"Look, don't worry about it. Let's just eat ok?" She said plastering a fake smile on her face that Inuyasha saw through, but chose to keep quiet.

The meal passed in silence and as Kagome moved to get the dirty dishes, Inuyasha beat her to it.

"Just sit and relax. I'll handle this." He picked up all the dishes and went into the kitchen to clean them just as Souta had shown him before he left. He heard Kagome get up and walk around the room as he washed, but focused on trying to figure out a way to apologize. He sighed after placing the last dish in the dish dryer and dried his hands before going back into the other room. The sight he saw made him freeze in place.

Kagome sat on the floor by the window, a light rain had begun sliding down the window, the pale light of the candles adding a glow to her face. He stared in awe of the angel sitting before him before catching the scent of her tears and seeing the small stream glide down her cheek. He frowned and approached her silently, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, startled, and he knelt down beside her, moving his hand to cup her cheek. When she didn't shy away, he gently brushed her tears away with his thumb.

"Kagome" he whispered "please let me explain."

She sniffed and pulled back leaving his hand feel cold and alone. He dropped it back to his side as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "What's there to explain Inuyasha? I know what I saw."

"Do you?" He asked, his eyes meeting hers. "Do you really **know** what you saw Kagome, or are you just jumping to conclusions? Convicting me before I've told my side?"

"But I saw-"

"That's just it Kagome" he said cutting her off, he lowered his gaze. "You saw, but you don't **know**." He sighed and stood up but Kagome grabbed his arm before he could walk away. He looked down at her and saw a round a fresh tears fall.

"Then tell me what I don't know." She said quietly. "I'm listening."

For a second he was just going to turn and keep walking, but he immediately crushed that idea down and sat once again. He ran a hand through his loose silver bangs before taking a deep breath.

"I went to get fish from the pond, and I had just finished up when she showed up. I got defensive, not trusting her after last time, but I let my guard slip up. She paralyzed me with her power and then proceeded to wrap her arms around me. I couldn't even talk, that's how bad she got me." He stopped and shook his head. "I shouldn't have let my guard slip, but I did. When you came, that's what you saw, her arms wrapped around me, yet I clearly remember that mine were hanging idly at my side."

Kagome thought for a moment, and her eyes widened a fraction. _'He's right… they were…'_

"When you sat me though, the spell broke, but by the time I was able to pull my face out of the ground you were gone. I got up and told Kikyou that the promise I had made was a mistake because I made it to someone who didn't exist anymore. I told her that we had both died that day fifty-three years ago and that it was over. Then I took off after you, and well, you know the rest of what happened when I found you." Inuyasha finished, turning his head to gaze out the window.

They sat for what seemed like hours, the silence heavy and thick as Kagome digested what he told her. She had jumped to conclusions… hanged Inuyasha before he was proven guilty.

She fidgeted with her hands in her lap. She had been angry at him for something he didn't do, and he was the one to come to apologize and she had basically thrown it in his face before. She didn't deserve his forgiveness… she hadn't trusted him… but she didn't want him angry at her.

She placed her hand over his drawing his attention back to her. He stared at her, his amber eyes glowing in the light. She looked down and whispered. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I'm so sorry…"

She expected him to pull away, to leave her in the dust, in pain like she deserved. He would toss her hand aside; yell at her for being and idiot and leave. What she didn't expect was his arms enveloping her in a warm embrace, pulling her body to his. After her surprise wore off, she smiled and wrapped her arms around him in a return embrace.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, neither one of them wanting to move, to wrapped up in each other. After a while the silence and comfort got to Kagome and she drifted off to sleep. As her breathing slowed a smile spread across Inuyasha's face. Carefully he picked her up, cradling her in his arms. He blew out all the candles and quietly trudged up to the stairs to her room. With some maneuvering, he pulls back the blankets and lays her down, covering her back up. She burrows deep into the blankets and he can't help but smile. Taking a chance he places a soft kiss to her temple before walking over the window and sitting down beneath it. He sits in his usual position, watching Kagome until sleep claims him, pulling his mind into its world of silence and dreams.

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Well folks, there you have it. Not too long, but hey, it was fun to write. Got my muses some exercise at least, they needed it those lazy asses… 

Please Review!

Ja ne!


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